William robinson



`- forming part of this specicatiou, and in whichtheir position.

winsten Bosnisch, oir-encontra new reen Letters Patent No. l08,633.\dnteii October 25, 1870.

WHPRVEWFT im ELCTRMMAGNETC RAILRSiGNALSt l `."tho Echoduie referred to in these 4Letters E atent andmaxzg part of the name To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM ROBINSON, ofthe city ot' Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York,'have invented a new and usefulI Improvement in Electro-magnetic Signaling-Apparatus for Switches or Draw-Bridges on Railroads, of which f the following is' a full, clear, and exact description,

referencerbeing had to the accompanying drawing Figure l represents a plan, in part, of my improved apparatus as applied to a switch of a railroad-track d an v vFigure 2 'an elevation of the same. L" Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention relates to electromagnetic apparatus for signaling hy the train, while in motion, breaks in the main track on a line of railroad, as by the displacement ot' a switcher 'opening of a draw-biidge, or through the operation ci adjuncts which are employed in connection with these To this end the invention includes an independent circuiehreaker-and closer, and additional circuit for sounding a heil or alarm, audible at the station, and displaying a signal visible to the enginedriver in advance, hy the displacement of the lswitch or draw`hridge, whenever the engine or train operates a main 4or primary circuit-breaker andcloser, butwhich is inoperative when the switch or draw-bridge is displaced except on approachof the train or passage of it over'the primary circuit-closer, thus disipenning with waste of the chemicals used in the hattery. A

.The invention also includes an irregular spacing of- 'the circuit-breaker or breakers, for operation in connection either with an irregularly spaced or. ordinary circuit-closer, to indicate by the-intermissions in the sounding of the alarm the direction in which thc'trziin' is traveling;

Referring' to the accompanying drawing, which shows the invention as applied in connection with' a switch on'a line of reilroadl- A A represent the rails' of the main track of aline of railroad, ora single line of mainrails; and

B B, a switch, connecting, when desired, with 'rails O 0, of a siding.

Attached to the switch B B is an so arranged that when the switch is thrown ofi' the main line of rails it closes the connection, as by points or parts a a, which connect, the oneby a wire, with one fixed arm or point, c, u lzl'?i,", coutrol of a main cicuibbreaker, nected by a. wire, d,.with a battery. F, that is connccted by wires, e j; witnma'gncts.' G H, and with devices, to eliect change inv A fThis closing ofthe circuit danger.'

arm or lever, D,

E, while thc ctllsetpart, a, is cohcircuit-'closed the other army or point c, under'control of the main circuit-'breaker- E.

This breaker E.: is operated by the tram 1n advance oi the switch, and is kept closed on the arms or points,

c c by a spline, j'.

l is a maincircuit-closenalso operated by the train 'when in motion to close the circuit, and serving,

through a lever, g, to .bring downan armature', J, in

' contact with the magnets H, and with the points h Zi,

with which thewres e f connect. 4 K is an armature operated by the Amagnets @Hand v serving to operate a lever, i, which actuat'es asignal, L, visible to the engineer of the train as he passes the circuit-breaker and closer E and I 5 also, which closes 'on points ,it it of an independent circuit formed in part hy wiresll and a battery,M, and which has connected .withit a est stationzto the switch. By this arrangement or combination of devices, al though theswitch B B, when thrown off the u ialu' line','closes the connection atc a, the circuit isstili open, but ready to he closed by the train, inpassing, pressing on the circuit-closer I.

sons 0r bell, N, at the ma.

gives an alarm' by the gong or hell at N at the station, and exposes the signal L ahead ot' the train', visible to the engineer and warning him of the displacement. Thus the displacement ot' the switch doesnnot operate the bell or signal excepting when a train is approaching, therehy preventing the waste ot' chemicals, and aiiording positive warning only/)phen a train is approaching While the arm f/fr/l lever D, in thehisplaoement '-ot the switch-closes the ccnnection'at a c, it isalso,

or more properly speak/mgm circuitbreaker, inasmuch 'as although that cuitc loser` I is operated to close the circuit by a'napproaching train, the circuit is broken bythe replacement of the switch `on tothe 4 main line.

The gong o" be N ms by the alternate creati ing and closing of thedcircuit, or by au attachment from the train passing over mja as projections'mand' n on the circuit-break,

and circuit-closer I. Said Y and 1s so constructed that vtwnpprosch of the hammer to the' bell breaks the ernannt. 'This break would also cause a break-at thecircv itcloser' I, if in the same circuit; hencethe necessity of asecondary circuit lwhich avoids the hicaklng while the hell is kept ringing.

The keys or projections in on the circuit-breaker, and also, preferably, the keys oslprcjections n on the are irregularly spaced, whereby the sounding of the alarm .may be made byits intermisof the primary circuit sions, te indicae'fat the station the direction in whicll the trames moying, or otherwise convey useful intelligence.

Either one or two bells may be ased, the one a gong for giving,r a general sound, and the other sorviog to ring telegraphic signals to indicate location and direction ot' the train; as for instance, to make known on which sido of the switch or draw-bridge thc train To 'giro location and direction, a simple circuit-closer, irregularly spaced, and without a magnet excepting,r at the bell, maybe used, without a circuit-break` er. Or acircnit-breaker alone, similarly spaced, or several circuit-breakers placed at irregular intervals, may be nscd iu place of the combination of Circuitclosing and breaking lovers with irregularly spaced teats or keys, in 12, as in thc drawing` Furthermore, the risible and audible signals may both be operated by one circuit, or an additional signal by an additional circuit. lhc "additional circuit lmay be closed either'by a magnet arranged for the special purpose, or by the magnet operating the primary signal, 0r by the magnet of the primari circuitcloser.

Whcna break occurs inthe maint-limi, ni'ter the train has passed and before it has reached the circuiteloser I, its operation on the cirouit-oloscr and signals might give unnecessary alarm. This is obviated by placing thc circuit-breaker Een' combination with, or proximity to, the circuit-closer, and on the sido away from the breakin the ina-in line, by which means the train passes from the break in the main lino over the circuit-closer and breaker, leaving the. circuit broken.

manso What is here claimed, and desired to bc secured by Letters Patent, is

l. A circuit-closer arranged for operation by a mov ing train, in combination with a switch, draw-bridge, or device ope ating` to break connection with the main track, and a signal or signals, substantially as and for the purpose or purposes heroin described.

2. Tle oircnitshrealicr E, so. arranged with reference to the oinclet-closer I that a vehicle or train moving in one direction will leave the circuit closed, but moving)T in the other direction will leave thev circnit broken, substantially as herein specified.

.'ihe combination with a switch or device ope rating to break connection with the main line or :in independent circuit-closer and breaker', l), the points aa in thc circuit, a circuit-closer and breaker, E 'and l', operated by the train when in motion, and arranged in advance' of the switch, and 'visible and audible signals, or either, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of an additional circuit for op` errting the beller alarm, or additional signa-l, with the primary circuit nndcr control of the train, lssen.-

'tially as heroin sot forth.

5. The circuit-breakerandcloserE and l, or either, provided with irregnlarly-spaced keys or projections,

Im and n, and arranged for operation substantially as Witnesses:

Jos. Ronmson, J AMES (l. SCOTT. 

